Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Gunther Trio: In This World

80

John Gunther Trio: In This World

By

View read count
John Gunther Trio: In This World
The CIMP label has established a sound as distinctive as Blue Note's was in the '60s, but its artistic stance, outlined in the "Statement of Purpose printed on the tray card of each release, causes as much consternation and controversy as the "ECM Sound did in the '70s. Recorded directly to two tracks, in real time and with no post-recording refinement, the objective is to recreate the experience of a private concert. Loud passages may be a little too loud; soft passages may fall into inaudibility. So, when the result is successful, close listening and undivided attention are rewarded. When it's not, it can be as maddening as alternately hearing someone whisper and shout in a room down the hall. "Either it works or it doesn't.

The production technique may be a gimmick, but in this case, the gimmick works. Reedist John Gunther's compositions, by and large, are quiet, and the lo-fi production serves the tunes well by helping to draw you in. Gunther's bass clarinet on "Another Stroll creates the low notes that suggest the sounds that reach underwater in a pool, and CIMP regular Jay Rosen works his drums delicately before the tempo quickens, leading to a Rosen solo that's more rumble and roll than crash. The drummer is Gunther's key collaborator, establishing the mood of "Waltz for Paige with mallets, "Anthem for Hope with tympani, and "Get the Low Down with clever, catchy use of a bell, triangle, and chimes.

On "Ruby My Dear, the set's lone cover, Gunther's tenor deconstructs the melody over Leo Huppert's bass, then slowly reconstructs it and settles into a swinging tempo. "Sneaky Blues lays down a funk groove that has the makings of a Bootsy/Maceo jam. And on "Cowboy Type Tune, Gunther takes the melody of "Zip a Dee Doo Dah and contorts it as if he were Sonny Rollins on Way Out West. In This World often sounds wonderfully otherworldly.

Track Listing

Sneaky Blues; Another Stroll; Marksman; Ruby My Dear; Get the Low Down; Cowboy Type Tune; Waltz for Paige; In This World; Anthem for Hope

Personnel

John Gunther
saxophone, tenor

John Gunther - bass clarinet, tenor, soprano; Leo Huppert - bass; Jay Rosen - drums

Album information

Title: In This World | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: CIMP Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.